I start from Pucón to Puerto Varas. Located about 4-5 hours south by bus, on the Lake Llanquihue. I will show you how to pronounce it when I'm back in Germany. The name comes from the Mapuche people, who have given many names to places in this region. My hostel is centrally located above the lake in a typical old house of the region.
After a short stay, repacking my backpack, etc. I start exploring the village. What do I see first? A huge wall with advertising for the "Club Aleman", eagle, flag, and all the works. Just great! In this region, there are many German surnames, roasted almonds, and lots of cake, because German immigrants settled here from around 1848. The lake is beautiful. In the background, I can make out the Orsorno volcano. It is quite obscured by clouds, but hopefully, I will still see it in the next two days. The Osorno is supposed to be one of the most beautiful volcanoes after Mount Fuji in Japan. After having paella, I take the bus to Frutillar. This little town right on the lake is said to be very German...Already during the bus ride through the town, I can't stop laughing and I think to myself, nobody will believe me, it's so absurd. In the middle of Chile, it looks like Dortmund-Hombruch, but see for yourself 😁 Frutillar is very beautiful, with a direct view of the Osorno by the lake. The annoying bagpiper, who annoys everyone with his flute bag at the lake, is lucky I decide to have cake instead and go back to the village... At Aunt Lilian's, who has decorated her little cake shop with antlers and other strange decorations from the Black Forest, I order a piece of apple pie. Here it's called apple strudel, but it has nothing to do with the well-known apple strudel. Well, okay. Coffee served in a styrofoam cup and first I try the cake. Wow, quite sweet, but it's okay. After the little "homeland trip", I get back on the bus to Puerto Varas and hang out at the hostel for a while before going to bed. I wake up. Oh noooo! It's raining nonstop! Well, I wanted to go to the national park. So I walk along the lake for a while. It's so cloudy that I think it's fake news that there are volcanoes all around me. For lunch, I go to the famous El Gordito. Everyone who has been to Puerto Varas knows this quaint little restaurant in the market hall. I order some fish dish. It will be great and it is! The restaurant is stuffed with napkins covered in writings, Christmas decorations, and everything else you can collect. At first, I thought the owner also ran a stationery store, but I was wrong, he also collects pens, which are hanging behind the small counter. There is also a collection of banknotes, coins, etc. Who cleans up the dust here?? 😂 On the way back to the hostel, I come across an agency and spontaneously ask if there is still a tour today. It's now almost 1:00 p.m. and in half an hour, we will go around the lake and into the national park. Perfect, I decide to participate on the spot because I can't arrange a bus tour on my own anymore. We leave at 1:30 p.m. with 9 other people. The tour is in Spanish, but it doesn't matter, I understand quite a lot by now. The guide's name is Luiz and he is unbelievably funny. He keeps saying "Ja Chicos..." through his non-functioning microphone and keeps talking. 1st stop at the lake. You can take a boat for extra money. I prefer to walk by the lake, the weather has gotten really nice... We continue to a farm founded by German immigrants. There are free-roaming llamas. Yayyyyy! The volcano is still hidden behind thick clouds! Next stop: lunch. I am a little annoyed by this stop, but okay. While the others devour sandwiches and empanadas, I walk along the road and discover a hole in the clouds! Ohhhhh, will I now be able to see the volcano? I wait eagerly, but this hole in the clouds is too small. Luiz keeps saying "falta poco" all the time, which means that only a little is missing. Hehehe. Okay. Onward to Laguna Verde (Green Lagoon). Help, it's so boring and uninteresting. I don't take any photos, instead I walk through the park. Volcano STILL hidden by clouds! Now we continue to waterfalls through volcanic rock. It's so beautiful here. My absolute highlight today, along with the funny guide who constantly makes me laugh. I stop for a moment and enjoy the breathtaking nature. And what do I discover? A hole in the clouds moving towards the volcano. Yayyyyy! I wait and wait, it's getting crowded next to me. After about 15 minutes of patiently waiting, I can take the following picture and I'm totally happy: That's all I can get, the hole in the clouds closes over the volcano. Doesn't matter, great picture and a great moment. We continue to Lago Todos los Santos. It's the most beautiful lake I have seen so far. Black sand, surrounded by volcanoes, and the water is turquoise blue. I walk around a bit, take some awesome selfies before we drive back to Puerto Varas from here. What a beautiful tour. I'm glad I did it. Otherwise, I would have been bored at the hostel because it was too late for other trips. At the hostel, Lucho (he works here in the evenings) and everyone else are waiting with a big barbecue and 5 tons of beef. What a day. Kisses <3 st.
